Improvement in railroad nut-locks



' Patentgd Aug. 28,1877;

'4' F396 unum] i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. SAWYER, OF PACIFIC, MISSOURI. I

IMPROVEMENT IN R AILROAD NUT-LOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 194,562., dated August28, 1877; application filed July 13, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, THOMAS JEFFERSON SAWYER,of Pacific, in the county of Franklin and State of Missouri, haveinvented cer' tain new and useful Improvements in Railroad Lock-Nuts;and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon,which form a part of this specification.

My invention, which has for its object to prevent the loosening ofrailroad fish-bars, consists of an improved form of washer and nut, theformer having depressions and'the latter a projection, which causes themto fit closely together, while the washer is held closely in positionagainst'the outer fish-plate, as will more fully appear in thedescription following.

In the drawings, Figure l is a sectional view of a railroad-rail,showing the application of my device to same. Fig. 2 is an inner-sideView of the nut. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the washer; Fig. 4,plan and edge view of a modification.

Similar reference-letters denote like parts in all of the figures.

Referring to drawings, A is a transverse section ofrail. B B arefish-plates, placed on either side of rail, the outside one, B, beingprovided with a groove, the inner one made, as in ordinary cases, flat,but fitting into the curvature, in both cases, on the sides of the rail.The opening in the fishplate B is elongated horizontally, as in ordinarycases, to

receive the enlarged part of the bolt-spindle next to the head of bolt,which prevents a movement of said bolt about its axis. The bolt E is ofthe ordinary form, and is passed from the inside of the rail throughinner fishplate B, rail-stem, and fish-plate B.

O is a washer, octagonal in form, although it may be of any other commonshape, having a tongue, a, formed across its face, to fit into thegroove a of fish-plate B. This tongue and groove is intended to keep thewasher from moving about theaxis of the bolt. The outer face of washer(J has two curved recesses, 0,

formed across it at right angles to each other, to fit over aprojection, b, on the nut, which comes against said washer.

D is the nut, of the usual form--rectangular preferred-provided with aconvex projection,

in drawing, and place the bolt E from the inside of the rail through theopening in the fish-plates and rail. The washerU is now collared overthe screw-threads of the bolt, and revolved until its tongue fits snuglyinto the groove of outer fish-plate B. The nut is now run on the threadsof the bolt, and the convex projection is forced over the outer face ofwasher 0 until it fits snugly into the concave recess of said washer.

[t is obvious that if the bolt is prevented from rotating, as described,the nut and washerpractically one piecewould also be kept in placeoutside of the rail. Although, in theory, it would appear that theprojection in the nut, except by violent means, would not move in asegment of ninety degrees after touching the face of the washer, inpractice the elasticity of the metal would cause a yieldin g sufficientto overcome the obstruction and allow the nut to come into its place.

I have formed in the washer two recesses, the center lines of which areat right angles with each other, although I claim the right to use moredepressions if necessary.

In the modification, Fig. 4, I have formed a groove in the tongue ofwasher, so that by reducing the thickness of metal, to increase itselasticity, if necessary.

Fig. 5 shows a modification, in which I dis pense with the tongue in thewasher and groove in the fish-plate by providing said washer with asubstitute device composed of projections e, rectangular in form on itsinner face, said projections having acute angled biting edges 0, to bearagainst the fish-plate in their application to same.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view, showing more clearly the device shown inFig. 5 of drawings.

I claim- 1. The nut D, with curved projections 11 fitting into thecurved recess a of washer G, in combination with one or more rigidholdingprojections on the inner side of the washer, whose holding-facesare parallel to that side, and with a screw-bolt and fish-plate, asdescribed, and for the purpose set forth.

2. The nut D, with curved projection b fitting into the curved recess 0of washer O, in

combination with rectangular tongue 41 of washer O, fitting intorectangular groove 1 of fishplate B, as described, for the purpose setforth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own invention I affix mysignature in presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS JEFFERSON SAWYER.

Witnesses:

JOHN WILLIAM FERGUSON, JAMES ALLEN MANTOR.

